Apparatus for filling and weighing bags



Aug. 11, 1931; w. R. PETERSON 1,818,092

APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND WEIGHING BAGS 4Filed Aug. a. 1927 e sheets-sheet 1 Q9 33 f n 5 F 13. 1 Q7 MSD 'EO 89 O L' .l e5 e i l 15.

E 9B 95. I i0 o 3 l 0 f 32 QL@ a3 da WiLLiAM RPETERSON.

W. R. PETERSON AAIPARATUS FOR FILLIG AND-WEIGHING BAGS Aug. .11., 1931.

med Aug. s. 1927 yca sheets-sheet 2 Aug. 11,1931. w. R. PETERSON APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND WEIGHING BAGS Filed Aug. 8. 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Aug.` 11, 1931.

6 Sheets-Sheet 4 M MQW,

WiLLAm RPUERSON.

I www@ Aug. 11, 1931, w. R. PETERSON 1,818,092

APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND WEIGHING BAGS l Filed Augf-S. 1927 6 Shle-etS-Sheet 5 A Il y A I gwuaulo' as l WiLLiAm R. PETERSON.

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Aug. ll, 1931. w. R. PETERSON APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND WEIGHING BAGS"l Filed Aug. 8. 1927 I 6 Sheets-Sheet 6l will?" v A l"lill/lll i filling and weighing bagls, and more particu-v Pamesa' Apg. 11, 1931 UNITED s'm'rasI PATENT orar-'ica 3. rml', 0l' CHICAGO, ASSIGNOR. BY ABIIGNmTB, T BT. REGIS PAPER 00mm, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0I' NEW YOI APABATS FOR FILLING AND WEIGHING BAGS Application Sled' Augllt l, 1927. Serlal N0. 211,371.

This invention relates to apparatus for larly to filling and weig ng valve bags.

The object of theinvention is to'fill a bag until the charge is of exactl the desired` weight and thento stop the fil ing and automatically discharge the bag from the apparatus. e

v In the preferred embodiment of the inven- 'tion there is means for filling the major portion of the charge into the bag at a comparatively rapid speed and completing the filling at a comparatively slow speed,so that greater accuracy can be achieved in the weighing than would result if the filling was entirely at the rapid speed. For example, if ninet curacy is desired.

four pounds of cement is filled into a bag in six seconds, the filling rate is nearly sixteen pounds to the second, and a variation of one sixty-fourth of a second in stopping the feed results in approximately a quarter of a pound variation in the weight. If eight -five Esunds is filledinto the bag in five an onelf seconds, and the remaining nine pounds is filledinto the bag at`the rate of four pounds a second, a variation in the final stopping of the feed will have only one-fourth the effect in varying the wei ht of the filled bag, while thetotal time o filling is only slightly increased. For this reason the twostage filling is preferable where great lac- However, the invention includes a tripping device for stopping the feed which is so delicately adjusted that. considerable accuracy may be attained with only the onespeed feeding.

The details of the apparatus and of the l way in which the objects of this invention are achieved will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical section, of one form of apparatus embodyin the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view o the upper portion of the apparatus, in filling osition; Figs. 3 and 4 are views similar to ig. 2 but showing the parts-in their positions at the completion of the rapid filling of the final filling, respectively; and Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showin a modified form of apparatus; Fig. 6 is a detail view showing gate-holdin lever 31 about to be tripped; Fig. 7 is a etail showing gate-holding lever 45 and the associated tri in the position they occupy when the parts s own in Fig. 6are in the positions there shown; and Fig. 8 is a combined view of the arts shown in Figs. 6 and 7 in the positions t ey occupy when lever 45 is about( to be tripped.

In the apparatus disclosed, there is a container 10 for the .material to be fed into the bag. A suitable discharging ropeller is mounted upon a shaft 11 and drives the material through a s out 12 which is adapted to enter the valve ov a valve bag, in a manner well known in the art. Above container 10i there is a feeding device mounted upon a shaft 13 and adapted to control the passage of material into container 10. Shafts 11 and 13 are driven continuously in any desired manner.

beams 14 mounted upon afulcri'im 15 and having knife-edge pivots I6 for supporting an A-shaped frame 17. The upper end of the A frame is guided in its vertical movement by a linkv 18 h'aving one end pivoted at 19 to a fixed part of the apparatus and the other `end pivoted at 20' to the top of the A frame. Attention is called to the fact that the upper part of thev A frame is 'bent to the right,A as shown in the drawings, and the parts are so constructed that the top of the A frame constantl tends to movefto the right. The pivota construction at 19 and 20, as best shown in Fig. 5, is such that this outward tendenc of the upper part of the A frame holds t-e knife-edge pivots tight, and avoids any play which might vary the position of the frame. As will appear from the following description, the stoppin of thefeed depends upon the position of t e A frame, so that the accurate control of the position of the A frame, and the absence of any play in any pivotal joints which might cause variation 1n the position of the A frame, is essential to the accuracy of the results.

Beneath the container there are scale` A25 into contact Counterweights are mounted on the scale beam in any desirable manner to counterbalance the entire weight of the frame and of the filled bag. The vvertical movement of the A frame is limited by stops 21 and 22 for the scale beam. When there is no filled packa mounted in the A frame, the rear end o the scale'beam normally rests upon stop 225 whereas sto 21` limits 4the downward movement of t e A frame when the filling of the package is completed.

From a fixed part of the apparatus there extends a bracket 23 above the A frame. In the end of bracket 2 3 there is a notch 24 in which there may rest a lu 25 on an auxiliary weight 26. The auxiliary weight is mounted upon a supporting member 27 which rests upon the top of the A frame. In the normal position of the Afirame the auxiliaryl weight is raised so that the lug 25 is slightly above notch 24.

Discharge of material from the container through stop 12 is' governed by a gate 28, which preferably consists of a sheet of metal ha therein an opening 29 which registers with t e discharge o ning of the container and the entrance en of spout 12 when .the gate is in open position. A s ring 30 nor mall tends to pull the gate ownward towar closed sition.

A gate-raising lever 31 is pivoted to the frame at 32 and has an upwardly extending member 33 having thereon a contact member 34 which rests, during the filling opleration, against a lug 35 on tripping atc 36.

The upper end of the gate is attached to lever 31 at 37, and there is an arcuate guiding member 38 against which the flexible end of the gate rests as it is raised. The surface of member 38 is curved about fulcrum 32, so that the surface of the member remains at all times equally distant from that fulcrum, and as the gate is raised its upper end is bent about this surface so that the portion of the te in the slideway is drawn endwise without any tendency to ull it a ainst one or the other side of the sli eway t ough which it moves.

The lower end of tripping latch 36 rests against a plate 39 on a retaining latch'40 pivoted to the main frame at 41 and normally drawn upwardby a spring 42 so as to hold plate 39 1n contact with the end of the tripping latch. A lug 4301i the A frame is provided with a setscrew 44, which is adapted to contact the end of the retaining latch, when the weight in the bag'is sufficient to lower the A frame, and lower the retaining latch suiciently to release tripping latch 36 and release the gate lever.

' In the preferred form of the construction, the parts are so latch is tripped by the lowering of the A frame suiciently to brinlthe auxiliary weight lug wi notch 24.

'A spring is provided'with a substantially that the retaining An auxiliary gate-lever 45 is pivoted on the same fulcrum with the main gate-lever. The upper end of auxiliary gate-lever 45 normally rests a inst a lug 46 vupon a tri ing latch 47, simi ar to tripping latchy 36. E)lBripping latch 47 is governed in a way similar to that in which latch 36 is governed, that is, the lower 6nd of latch 47 normally contacts a plate 48 on a retaining latch 49 pivoted to the rame at 41 and normally raised by a spring 50. A lug 51 on the A frame carries a set screw 52 adjusted to release retaining latch 49 from tripping latch 47 when suiicient material is fed into a bag to lower the A frame below the point where the auxiliary weight is su orted by bracket 23..

en suiicient material is fed into the bag so that the A frame is lowered until the auxiliary weight contacts bracket 23, the main gate-lever is tripped and is swung about its ulcrum until a plunger 53 cushioned by a spring 54 contacts an abutment plate 55 on t e auxiliary te lever. At this point the gate is parta ly closed,-but materiall continues to pass out through the remain'n `opening into the ba until the weight is su cient to lower the ag and release 'trip ing latch 47, whereupon the auxiliary gate ever is released and the closing of the gate is completed.

Mounted in the A frame beneath the discharge spout is a bottom support 56 pivoted at 57 to the A frame. This ottom support normally rests in a substantially horizontal position. E

On the side of the bag towards container 10, and a little below the filling spout, there is a cross-piece 58 mounted upon legs 59 pivoted at 60, and forming a dischargin frame. Actuating arms 61 extend from the schar ing frame and are connected to a vertical y reciprocable link 62. Link 62 also carries a roller 63 adapted to engage an abutment 64 on bottom support 56.

The upper end of link 62 is pivoted to a lifting lever 65 fulcrumed on a shaft 66. Extending from the shaft 66 there is an arm 67 connected by a link 68 to an eccentric 69'on shaft 13. As the shaft 13 is rotated constantl rock shaft 66 is continuously rockedby t e described connection.

A discharging pawl 70 is pivoted to lever 6 5 and has a tooth 71 adapted to engage a lifting lug 72 on an arm of rock shaft 66.

3 normally ur es pawl 70 into engagement with lug 2. owever the pawl horizontal extension 74 which is normally 'raised by a lug 75 on a locking member 76. Locking member 76 in turn is held in its upward position by a catch 77 pivoted at 78. A catch trip 79 has an upwardly extending end 80 normally drawn against catch 77 by a spring 81. Trip 79 has a downwardly extendin finger 82 normally extending into the vp tg of a member 83 on the gate lever. It will be v seen that, when the gate lever is tripped so raises link 62, which raises roller 63 against' abutment 64 and tilts the bottom su port, and at the same time the lifting link ti ts'the discharging frame so as to move the bagcoiitactiiig portion 78 to the right, as viewed in the drawings, and thereby force the bag from the filling tube.

A ban gripping member 84 is pivoted at 85 above the spout, and its under surface normally contacts a bag on the spout and prevents the bag from slipping oil' of' the spout. Gripping member 84 has an upper extension 86 in the path 'of a roller 87 on the gate lever, and when the gate is closed roller 87 contacts extension 86, forcing it to the right, as viewed in the drawings, and releasing the gripping member from the bag. y

An arm 88 rigid on rock shaft 66 has therein a set screw 89 adapted to contact a heel 90 of locking member 76, so that when rock shaft 66 is rocked in a direction to raise lug 72, set screw 89 tilts member 76 so as to allow spring 91 to draw catch 77 to the right into position to support locking member 76.

- Pivoted to an arm 92 on rock shaft 66 there is a depending link 92a guided by a link 92"- end Vto a stationary part of the frame. A

spring 99 attached to the frame above the ivot of member 98 tends to maintain memr 98 swung to one side of its pivot, preventing its return to theother side until the resistance ofthe spring is overcome. Spring 99 is strong enough to maintain starting handle 96 in its raised position until the handle is intentionally lowered. When the outer end i6 \of the handle is forcibly lowered, it throws member 98 to the right, and iminediatel after spring 99 passes the 'pivot upon whic member 98 is mounted, the spring urges the lower end of member 98 further to the right.

When so urged, member 98 contacts lifting hook 93 with suicient force to move it to the right, overcoming spring 95, so that when the hook is next lowered it engages lug 94, yand upon yits next upward motion, it raises the gate lever.

When the gate lever is raised, it opens the gate and allows the material to be discharged into a bag in position on the iillinfrfspout. At the same time, roller 87 is raised out of contact with extension 86 of the bag gripping member, allowing the member to grip the bag and, prevent its sliding ofl' the filling spout. ',lhe upper extension of the gate lifting lever moves to the left, member 83 swinging finger 97 during this movement, but the yielding of spring 8l allows this movement of the finger without affecting the position of trip 79. This saine movement of the upper end of the gate lever to theleft moves it into position past tripping latch 36, so that the latch swings downward into position and is held in place by latch 47 until the A-fra'nie is again lowered.l i

When the gate lever is lifted, a member 100 thereon lifts handle 96,` thereby swinging the yoke connected with the handle to the left and moving member 98 to the left so that spring 99 passes beyond the pivot of member 98 and returns the member to its original position, in which it holds the starting handle elevated, and vallows hook 96 to be forced by spring 95 out of engagement with lug 94 on the gate lever.

`When the main gate lever is raised, a set screw 101 thereon contacts the auxiliary .gate lever and returns it to filling position.

The'operation of the apparatus has been indicated in connection with the description l of the construction, but for convenience it may be briefly summarized.

The upper portion of the apparatus is approximately in the position shown in Fig. 4 when the filling of a bag is to be started. The operator laces a bag upon the filling tube and then owers the starting handle. Thereupon the lifting hook engages the gate lever, upon the nextupward oscillation of arm 92, and lifts the gate. Lifting the gate lever raises the gate until the opening therein registers with the filling tube, so that material is discharged into the bag. At the same. time the bag gripping member 84 is released and allowed Ito swing into gripping position. The starting handle is likewise raised so that thelifting hook is released and remains in itsl inoperative position until the starting handle is lowered for filling the next bag. Set screw 101 on the main gate lever contacts the auxiliary gate leverand both gates are locked in their raised positions by the respective latches.

The A frame supports the bag and also auxiliary weight 26. Material is discharged very rapidly through the fully opened filling tube into the bag until the weight of the bilig, together with the auxiliary weight, is su cient to overcome the counterweights on the scale beam, whereupon the AY fra-me drops until the auxiliary weight rests on bracket 23. This drop is suflicient to trip the main gate bottom suiport and the dischargin and thus is lever, so that this lever dro s and the gate drops until the main gate ever is stopped by the auxiliary lever. In this position of t e parts, shown in' Fig. 3, the remaining `opening into the discharge spout is comparatively small, so that the discharge of material is retarded. This retarded flow of material continues until an additional amount e ualing the auxiliary weight has entered the ag, whereupon the A frame will once more descend, tripping the auxiliary gate` lever and thus completing the shutting off of `the mate rial. During this final movement of the gate levers, catch 77 is forced from beneath locking member 76, and pawl 70 becomes operaoperation repeated.

l the gate' lever with the gate, whereb the weighing means, a valve bag-su port mountved on the weighing means, a

Except where exceedingly accurate weights are required, the auxiliary weight and aux-v liary gate-lever may be omitted as a construction such as illustrated inFig. 5 operates to give fairly accurate weights. It will be readily seen that this construction is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, except for the omission of the auxihary weight and auxiliary gate-lever, and, therefore, the construction and operation need not be described in detail. A somewhat modified form of gate lever 31* is employed but its operation is the same as that of the main gate lever in the preferred form.

` The construction wherein the movement of the A frame is controlled by knife-edge pivotal connections constantly held in tight engagement, so that the position of the A frame is at alb times accurately controlled, and whereby the downward movement of the A frame directly contacts a horizontally exi tending member of the retaining latch for the trip, results in exceedingly accurate control of the time of trippin Furthermore, the long leverage, between t e engagement of the ate lever and the eng ent ofthe retainiii latch with the tripping 1atch,-reduces the P friction on the tripping latch to a so that the tripping of the retaimng latch interferes very little Ywith the movement of the A frame, and variations in this friction andconsequent effect upon the movement o the A, frame is practically negligible.

Furthermore, the described connection of strain on the gate is always directly ongitiidinal of the gate, and cramping of the gate in its slideway is avoided, reduces danger of varying friction on the gate, and consequent varying speeds inthe closing movement of the gate. v

The combined result of the above features is very accurately weighing, even when the auxiliary weight and auxiliary lever are dis pensed with, and when these are used, an accuracy is achieved which satisfies the mosty exacting requirements.

The invention disclosed in this application is an improvement on that disclosed in my prior application for automatic cement packin machine, filedy July 20, 1927, Serial No. 20 ,152.

Various changes may be made in the mechanical construction of the several parts while retaining some of the advantages referred to above. Alternative constructions, not described but within the scope of the appended claims, come within the scope of the invention. Y

What I claim is:

1. In filling and weighing apparatus, a scale beam, a container-support pivotally mounted on the beam, a feedingdevice for fillingmaterial into a container on said support, a link above and parallel with the beam for maintaining the support in correct vertical position, said position being such as to constantly exert an endwise pull on the link, and knife-edge pivotal connections at each end of the link arranged to be held in tight engagement by said endwise pull. l

2. In filling and weighing ap aratus, a` scale beam, a support for a valve bag pivotally mounted on the scale beam, a feeding device adapted to feed material laterally into the bag through its valve while on the support, the support being mounted so that it tends constantly to move away from the feeding device, a link holding the support in proper relation with the feeding device, and knife-edge pivotal connections at each end of the link arranged to be held in tight engagement by the endwise pull of the support on the link.

3. In filling and weighing apparatus, a scale beam, a material container above the beam, a support for a valve bag pivotally mounted upon the beam, means to feed material from the container laterall l into a bag on the support, a link above an parallel with the scale beam and controlling the uper end of the support, said link equaling in length the distance between the pivotel connection of the support to the scale beam and the fulcrum of t e beam and the upper end of the support being slanted so that the f stationary end of said link can be pivoted Aon the slide of the container towards said SUPPOII 4. In filling and weighing apparatus,

ling device adapted to lill material horizontally through the valve of the bag on the support, a pivoted 1 trip having a horizontally extending arm, a member on the support adapted to contact the arm near its end and force 1t downward vwith the movement of the support, a catch on the trip at a' less distance from the pivot than. the length of the arm, and means for stopping the fillin device controlled by the catch.

5. in filling and weighing apparatus, weighing means, a container-support mounted on the weighing means, a filling device adapted to fill the container on the support, a pivoted trip having a horizontally extending arm, a vertically adjustable support adapted to contact the arm near its end and force it downward with the movement of the support, a pivoted member having a vsubstantially vertical arm normally engaging said trip, and means for stopping the filling device controlled by said pivoted member.

6. In filling and weighing apparatus, a scale beam, a valve bag support pivotally mounted on the beam, a filling device'adapted to fill a bag on the support, a link controlling the horizontal position of the upper end ofb the support, the parts being so arranged that tension is constantly exerted on the link, knife-edge pivots for each end of the link arranged to be held tight by said tension, a trip adapted to b e actuated by the vertical movement of the sup ort, and means for stopping the filling device actuated by v said trip.

7. In filling andy weighing apparatus, a feeding device adapted to discharge material into a container, a gate controlllng the open- -ing from the filling device into the container,

means constantlytending to close the gate, a lever for maintaining the gate open during filling operation, a pivoted latch, means on the lever engaging the latch near its pivot, a trip member engaging the latch' at a comparatively great distance from its pivot, means for weighing the container being filled, and connections from said weighing Ameans adapted to actuate said trip.

8. In filling and weighm apparatus, a vertically movable support or a container, means for feeding material into a container on the support, means governing the vertical lposition of the support 1n accordance with the weight of the material in the container thereon, a gate adapted to control the passage of material from the feeding device into the container, means constantly urgin closed position, a lever adapted gate in o en position ,duri a pivote latch, means on t e lever engaging thelatch near its pivot, said latch havin an elongated portion extending substantially to hold the vertlcally, a pivoted trip member engaging-k the vertically extending portion of said latch at a comparatively great distance from its pivot, the trip havlng a horizontally extending member, and means on the container adapted to contact the horizontally extendthe gate toV filling operation,

ingl member of the trip and release the latch whenthe support moves down by reason of the weight of material in the container.

9. In filling and weighing apparatus, weighin means, a container-support mounted ony t e Weighing means, a filling spout adapted to discharge into a container on the support, a gate adapted to close said spout, a pivoted member connected to the gate, a catch having a normally vertical arm, there being an arm on said pivoted member adapted to engage the catch near the pivot of the catch 'loI when the gate is open, a ivoted trip member y I.

having a substantially orizontal arm and adapted to engage the end of the arm of said catch, and means on the support in position to engage the trip and release the catch when the support isilowered. A

10. In filling and Weighing apparatus, `Weighing means, a support mounted on the weighing means and adapted to support a container, the Weighing means being adjusted to maintain the support in an upward position until a predetermined weight of material is fedinto the container and then to allow the downward movement of the support, y,a feeding device for feeding material into a container upon the support, a weight mounted on the support, a bracket for intercepting the weight during the downward travel of the support, a trip device for slowing up the operation of the .feeding device, means to actuate said tripping device during the travel of the sup ort before the weight is intercepted, a second, trip device adapted to 4 completely shut off the feed of material, and

means for actuating said second tri ping device during the downward travel o thel support after the interception of the weight.

11. In filling and weighing ap aratus, a scale beam, a support for a valve a pivotally mounted on the scale beam, a link for maintaining the up er end of the support in proper position, a eeding device for filling material into a bag Von the support, a gate controllin the passage of material from the feeding evice into the bag, means constantly tending to close the gate, a lever adapted to hold the gate in open position, a lever adapted to hold the gate in partially open position, a weight on the scale beam adapted to counterbalance the support and filled bag thereon, an auxiliary weight upon the support, a bracket in osition to intercept the auxiliary weight uring the downward travel of the support, a trip for thefirst of the support b the weight of material in the container t ereon, a feeding device adapted to ll material into a container on the support, a gate controlling the passage of a. material from the device into the container a spring attached to one end of the te and constantly drawin the gate towa closed position, a lever a apted to hold the gate in open position a iexible connection between the gate and the lever, and a member having an arcuate surface described about the fulcrum of the lever and adapted to maintain the effective connection between the lever and the ate constantly in the line of movement t of t e gate. i

13. In filling and weighing ap aratus, a scale beam, a support for a valve a pivotally mounted on the scale beam, a fil 'ng device adapted to fill material into a bagh on the support, an auxiliary weight upon the support, means to intercept the weight during its downward travel, means to partially stop the action of the feeding device when the weight is intercepted, means for completely stopping the action of the feeding device during downward travel of the su port after the weight is intercepted, and mecianical means for discharging a bag from the support when the operation of the feeding device is completely stopped. v

14. In filling and weighing apparatus, a scale beam, a support for a valve ag pivotally mounted on the beam, connections for maintaining the vertical position of the support so arranged that the position of the supi ort is constantly maintained in relation to ite-edge pivots, a feeding device for a bag upon the su port, means controlled by the movement o t the support for stopping the feeding device, and mechanical means for discharging a filled bag from the support when the feeding is stopped.

In testimony whereo I have hereunto signed my nameto this s ification.

4s WILLIAM PETERSON. 

